Strip-guiding means for sewing machines



April 25, 1933. R. J. sAlLER STRIP GUIDING MEANS FOR SEWING MACHINESFiled Aug. 2, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l gmmto't April 25, 1933. R. J. SAILERSTRIP GUIDING MEANS FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Aug. 2, 1930 3Sheets-Sheet 2 April 25, 1933. R. J. SAILER STRIP GUIDING MEANS FORSEWING MACHINES Filed Aug. 2, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 gwuento o I needlesin the formation of stitches.

Patented Apr. 25, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RUDOLPH J'.SAILER,-.O-F TOWNLEY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE SINGER MANU- FACTUBINGCOMPANY, "JERSEY OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEWSTRIP-GUIDING MEANS SEWING MACHINES Application filed. August 2, 1930.Serial No. 472,557.

This invention relates to improvements in strip-guiding devices forsewing machines and has for its primary object to provide a device ofthis character which will automatically insure a definite position ofone edge of a stripof fabric, in its passage to the stitch-formingmechanism of the sewing machine, regardless of the width of the strip.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages in view, together withmeans whereby the same may be carried into effect, will best beunderstood from the following description of a preferred embodimentthereof illustrated in the v accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a frontside elevation of a ruffling sewing machine inconnection with which the present improved strip-guiding devices areemployed. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the strip-guiding devices and thesewing machine cloth-plate, the overhangingbracketarm of the machinebeing shown in section. Fig. 3 is a front end elevation of the machine.Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the combined strip-inverting andstrip-edge directing guide. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of thestrip-inverting guide substantially on the line 55 of Fig. 2. V

The sewing machine illustrated in the drawings has a frame comprising abed-plate 1 from which rises the standard 2 of a bracket-arm 3terminating in a head 4, said bracket-arm overhanging a cloth-plate 5supported upon the bed-plate.

J ournaled for endwise, vertical reciprocation in the head t is a needlebar 6, in the present instance carrying two needles 7. Any suitablelooper or loop-taker mechanism may be employed for cooperation with saidAlso journaled for endwise movement in the head 4 is a verticallydisposed presser-bar 8 carry ing at its lower end a presser-foot 9opposed to a feed-dog 10 which acts to advance the work past thestitch-forming mechanism.

Operatingin front of the presser-foot 9 is a rufiiing blade 11 carriedin a well known manner b the forward endof a horizontally disposed liar12 journaled for endwise rec'ip rocation in a suitably aperturedguidebracket 13 secured upon the bracket-arm head 4:. At its rearwardend, the bar 12 is suitably connected'with avibratory'arm 14 carried bya rock-shaft 15 journaled in hearing brackets 16 at the rear side of themachine bracket-arm. The rock-shaft 15 may be actuated in any usual orwell known manner to impart properly timed work-gathering movements tothe milling-blade 11.

The sewing machine herein described in general terms and having thepresent improved guiding devices is employed primarily for attaching aruflled strip of fabric to a body material, although it is tobeunderstood that the invention is not limited to this class of work. Inprior machines for effect- To obviate this requirement, there is employed a guide comprising astrip-receiving guide-plate 17 transverselyoverlying a stripdelivering guide-plate 18, intermediate whichguide-plates is disposed a strip-inverting guide 19 inclined to thelengths of both of said guide-plates. The strip-inverting guide 19 hasupper and lower walls 20 and '21 which converge in a direction towardone of the side edges of the strip-delivering guide-plate 18, whereby astrip of fabric passed over the guide-plate 17 is not only inverted inits passage about the guide19 and under the guide-plate 18, but thestrip also has a tendency to creep laterally in the general direction ofconvergence of the strip-inverting guide-walls '20 and 21. In thepresent embodiment of the invention, the strip-inverting guide is madeby bending a fiat blank over upon itself on-aline inclined substantially45 from one side edge of the, blank, the A ,curved'wall 19, 20, 21constituting the bent portion of the blank being somewhat sharplycompressed at the inner end thereof and gradually flaring toward itsopposite end whereby theplate portions 17 and 18, which constitutetransversely overlying fabric runs, are relatively inclined. While theembodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings is the-preferredform thereof, it is obvious that the converging, strip-inverting wallsmay comprise a construction separate from the fabric runs or beotherwise than integrally connected therewith.

Rising from the inner edge 22 of the guideplate 17 is a guide-loop 23providing a fabricstrip edge-guide 24 substantially parallel with saidplate-edge 22, said guide-loop extending crosswise over the plate 17 inspaced relation thereto and serving to direct the fabric-striplengthwise over said plate 17. At its end opposite to the edge-guide 24,the guide-loop 23 is preferably free of the guideplate 17 wherebyfabric-strips may be inserted laterally between the guide-loop andguide-plate.

Means is also provided for directing the fabric-strip lengthwise ,of andunder the guide-plate 18, comprising, in the present instance anedge-guide 25 and a strip-supporting plate 26 underlying the guide-plate18 in slightly spaced relation thereto. This strip guiding means isformed by bending under a lateral extension of the guide-plate 18 intosubstantial parallelism therewith, the curved wall constituting the bentportion providingsaid edge-guide 25 which is disposed substantiallyparallel with the line of scam formation and transverse to theedge-guide 24, with its strip-receiving end directly adjacent thecompressed portion of the stripinverting wall 19. The overlying plates18 and 26 are partly cut away whereby the curved wall constituting theedge-guide 25 extends rearwardly beyond said plates to properly direct afabric-strip passing between the plates into the path of the needle orneedles. Adjustably secured, by screws 27, to the underside of thestrip-supporting plate 26 is a yielding stripperor separatingblade 28projecting rearwardly beyond said plate 26 adjacent the extended portionof the edge-guide 25. The serrated, rearward end 29 of saidstripper-blade extends under the toe of the presser-foot 9 and performsits usual function of holding the gathered fabric-strip againstfollowing the return movement of the rufliing blade 11, it beingunderstood that said rufliing blade during its advancing movement actsonly upon the fabricstrip which is separated by said blade 28 from abody material to which the strip is to be attached.

Rising from theguideplate 18 is the shank 30 of the strip-guidedescribed, said guide shank being fixed by screws 31 to an arm 32depending from a supporting-arm 33 upon which the arm 32 is secured forvertical adjustment by a screw 34. The supportingarm 33 projectsforwardly from the rufflerbracket 13, being secured to said bracket by ascrew 35 for adjustment crosswise of the line of seam formation.

The fabric-strip is directed to the described strip-reversing guide by astrip-reversing conductor which may be of the usual construction, and infact any other suitable guide may be employed for this purpose. Theconductor referred to comprises a plate 36 initially extendingsubstantially parallel with the line of seam formation and bentdownwardly and under on a line inclined to a side edge of said plate 36to provide a strip-reversing wall 37 terminating in a plate portion 38extending crosswise of the line of seam formation. A guide-loop 39spaced from the upper side of the plate 36 and a similar guideloop 10 atthe underside of the bent-under plate-portion 38 confine the fabricstrip to travel about the inclined reversing wall 37 in the usualmanner.

The strip-reversing conductor is secured upon the upper end of asupporting rod 11 rising from a base 12 which may be suitably securedupon the usual power-table, the position of the strip-reversingconductor being preferably such that the strip-delivery portion thereofis slightly rearward of the stripreceiving end of the edge-guide 24,whereby the lead of the fabric-strip delivered by the strip-reversingconductor is in a direction inclined laterally to said guide to maintainan edge of the fabric-strip continuously in engagement with theedge-guide 24. As indicated in dot-dash lines in the drawings, a strip Sof fabric directed over the guide-plate 17, by the edge-guide 24: isinverted in its passage over the inclined guide 19 and is directed underthe guide-plate 18 by the edge guide 25, with the same face of the stripnext to both guide-plates 17 18. As the stripinverting guide-walls 20and 21 converge toward a point directly in advance of the workreceivingend of the edge-guide 25, the edge of the fabric-strip S directed by theedgeguide 2 1 is maintained in contact with the edge-guide 25 by reasonof the tendency of the fabric-strip to creep laterally toward the pointof convergence of the strip-inverting walls 20, 21. Consequently,fabric-strips of different widths are accurately directed to thestitch-forming mechanism by the improved guide described and if it isdesired to change the position of the seam line with respect to thestrip width it is only necessary to adjust the strip-guide bodilycrosswise of the line of seam formation.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim hereinis 1. Strip guiding means for sewing machines comprising transverselyoverlying fabric-strip receiving and delivering runs, and guiding meansdisposed between said runs having strip-inverting guide-walls convergingtoward a side edge of the strip-delivering run.

2. Strip guiding means for sewing machines comprising an edge-guide, andguiding means disposed in advance of said edgeguide havingstrip-inverting guide-walls converging toward said edge-guide.

3. Strip guiding means for. sewing machines comprising edge-guidesdisposed to direct a fabric strip in transverse directions, andstrip-inverting guide-walls disposed intermediate said edge-guidesconverging to a point directly in advance of the strip-receiving end ofone of said edge-guides.

4. Strip guiding means for sewing machines comprising an edge-guidedisposed to direct a fabric-strip in a direction substantially parallelwith the line of seam formation, strip inverting guide-walls inclined tothe line of seam formation and converging to a point directly in advanceof the stripreceiving end of said edge-guide, and means providing foradjustment of said edge-guide and strip-inverting guide-Walls in adirection crosswise of the line of seam formation.

5. Strip guiding means for sewing machines comprising transverselyoverlying strip-receiving and-delivering guide-plates having adjacentends terminating in a curved strip-inverting wall inclined to thedirection of the lengths of the guide-plates, the side portions of saidcurved wall converging toward one side edge of the strip-deliveringguide-plate.

6. Strip guiding means for sewing machines comprising convergingstrip-invert ing walls, means for directing a fabric-strip over saidwalls, and means for directing a fabric-strip to said walls in adirection inclined laterally thereto.

7. Strip guiding means for sewing machines comprising convergingstrip-inverting walls delivering a strip in the direction of the line ofseam formation, means for directing a fabric-strip over said walls, andmeans comprising a strip-inverting guide for directing a fabric-strip tosaid walls.

8. Strip guiding means for sewing machines comprising edge-guidesdisposed to direct a fabric strip in transverse directions, guidingmeans having strip-inverting walls disposed intermediate saidedge-guides and converging toward the strip-receiving end of one of saidedge-guides, and means for directing the fabric-strip with alongitudinal edge thereof in contact with the other of said edge-guides.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

RUDOLPH J. SAILER.

